Majority Not Carrying An Auto-Injector for Allergy

An astounding 63 percent of adults at risk of anaphylaxis do not always carry an epinephrine auto-injector with them, according to a new Leger Marketing study.

Also of concern, 51 percent of parents of children at risk of this life-threatening form of allergic reaction do not have epinephrine available at all times, says the study released on Nov. 1. Anaphylactic reactions can come on very swiftly and incapacitate the allergic individual.

Because of this, allergist Dr. Susan Waserman notes that people at-risk of anaphylaxis are always meant to have an auto-injector with them. “But this survey tells us there are serious gaps,” she says. “These individuals need to be better prepared.”

The findings are from an online survey of 1,089 individuals who are either at risk of anaphylaxis or have a child who is at risk. The study, commissioned by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi Canada, has other interesting results about attitudes toward using auto-injectors in an emergency.